Another Debt Free Diary :)

Lemon_Tree

well done on the interview even if it was in vain for the job you went for, you never know what's around the corner.

i'm guessing i'm still welcome here and i'm glad that you've accepted that you have to start saying no to offers of holidays and nights out.

The challenge not to incurr bank charges is a good one, for me tackling my overdraft, my challenge was to reduce my closing balance the night before payday by £10 each month, i struggled to start with and we're only talking spending a tenner less each month, but the sense of achievement you feel is better than probably what you feel on a holiday which you know in your heart of heart you can't afford. (I did one of those holidays where i thought i won't waste the costs i've already paid even though i couldn't truly afford it, and i had one the worst weekends ever.) i guess it's something i've lived and learnt over now.
Good luck and keep posting here, it will help you keep strong and on track

ElizabethJH

Thanks - I'm feeling very up and down today... I thought I had my council tax sorted but now I find there's another £176 of charges... it just seems never ending! I'm hoping that the charges are too much and there's some way of proving that but, what with the no reply to 3 of my letters to the council then I'm not holding my breath!

Need to speak to Equita about the debt but the letter is at home...

I guess the thing in these situation is just to continue to be positive - at the moment I don't feel like seeing anyone I would quite happily sit in my house alone for the rest of the year. After tonight I think that might be my plan for a couple of weeks, just to get my head in shape.. no matter how I try when I see friends I always end up spending that pound or two! And afterall these debts are all from "trying to keep up" with the friends.

Anyhow this blog is very self indulgent woo is me.. I'll try and be more optimistic for the moment. I do have surplus money each month and the debt will go down eventually.. it's up to me how quickly that happens

Hope you make your challenge Lemon Tree!

PS I feel much better after that!

PercyPig

Anyhow this blog is very self indulgent woo is me..

Hi Elizabeth - don't worry about that, that's the point of having your own blog

Wow Lemon Tree, you have done so well paying so much off your debt, I am very impressed. I am going to take your advice about reducing your overdraft each month on board. Do you mean you actually lowered the limit each month by £10 to start with? I like that idea and think I can manage that.

Percy

ElizabethJH

Well I don't feel positive this morning... I'm just feeling really anxious and nervous and I know it's about the debts. This is the point where I just feel like ignoring everything.. I know it feels better if I just continue to sort it out though, so that's what I'll do. Just keeping this diary takes some of the feeling away.

I phoned Equita this morning about £176 charges - wouldn't speak to me had to speak to Bailiff. Phoned him and he's going to phone me back on my mobile.

The thing with the council tax charges is the original debt they held was £170.28. The amount I last had a letter about was £216.78. I paid them £200 yesterday and had promised the £16.78 by the end of the month However they say there is still £176.78 to pay

Total charges would be £196 to a bill of £170.28 this is surely disproportionate? (sp?)

Right I'm going to check my online banking and hope for a miracle

ElizabethJH

PS Percy Didn't see your reply there! Thanks for the support I'll feel free to moan on here everyday then... surprisingly it's cheering me up loads!!

One positive I forgot to mention was a friend text me last night to see if I could come out Saturday Afternoon and I replied saying to be honest I can't see myself coming out in the near future as I have some bills I really need to work on paying off, but will see him nearer Christmas... that's a big deal for me, I can't help but invite someone round for dinner or say I'll meet for a drink to catch up normally so I said NO! Brilliant

ElizabethJH

Ugh I now have £2.50 to last on until Friday Evening! Collection at work... I was the first person it came to so would have been really obvious not to put money in - not only that I like the girl who's going on maternity and £2.50 is still enough for 2 days lunch - just drinking tea for breakfast.... going to text my boss now and find out what I'm working this weekend... fingers crossed I'm working Friday and Saturday Night

ElizabethJH

Yay - I'm working Both Friday and Saturday Night - likely to be at least £40 in my pocket hopefully more :beer:


Boo - I'm working Friday and Saturday Night

It's so depressing going home on Friday Night after work, getting a few hours kip and then back to work 10-6am....

... well I always say I had enough enjoyment spending the money, it's just karma!!!

ElizabethJH

Well I managed to snack on free jelly babies this afternoon to save myself from spending.. just spent £1.25 on soup and bread roll from Canteen! Looking forward to tonight as am planning on sorting through my hotmail and then having a bath and a film night!

Have Beef Casserole at home left over from the other night to eat, popcorn for later... even a glass of red wine left in the bottle if I want (the last of my wine unless bf buys me more!)

Started with the daily clicks today.... I have some Quidco money that says it was meant to be paid in November... any idea when it gets paid???

Going to go through all the free things on Quidco and build up my balance as well... am I sad to be excited to get home and do all this??? :T

ElizabethJH

Well I'm feeling a lot more positive today. Got a really good nights sleep, feeling more normal - even washed my hair this morning!! Looking forward to work tonight that extra money will put my bank balance a bit higher as well as it being pay day on Tuesday so it feels like I've got through the worst!

Spoke to another friend who asked what I was doing on the weekend... and just said nothing that costs ANY money. Also stopped myself mid reply when I was responding to a FB message about a night out at the end of January! I was thinking that it's ages away and I'll afford it by then. But I'm not debt free until September at the earliest so can't have that kind of attitude!!

I phoned my Mom as well to tell her about my 50 Qype reviews that I'd done and she said that she had 15% off the supermarket she works at and would I like anything next Wednesday? I said yes I'd like a box of wine... then I retracted and said no actually I'm not getting any luxuries until I'm out of debt now. So 3 No's in one evening!! It's a big thing for me! Looking forward to receiving all my Qype Goodies now, I'm half way to Ninja so will complete at weekend to get my Ipod!! :T

ElizabethJH

PS Work Collegue came over asking if I'd seen the cheap Ryan Air flights... said that I had no plans to book any flights anytime soon... even after a conversation about all the places I want to go, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul, Barcelona, copenhagen........ I closed the website and feel good for it!!